recourse

[ ree-kawrs, -kohrs, ri-kawrs, -kohrs ]

/ ˈri kɔrs, -koʊrs, rɪˈkɔrs, -ˈkoʊrs /

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See synonyms for recourse on Thesaurus.com

noun

access or resort to a person or thing for help or protection: to have recourse to the courts for justice.

a person or thing resorted to for help or protection.

the right to collect from a maker or endorser of a negotiable instrument. The endorser may add the words “without recourse” on the instrument, thereby transferring the instrument without assuming any liability.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of recourse

1350–1400; Middle English recours<Old French <Late Latin recursus,Latin: return, retreat, noun use of past participle of recurrere to run back; see recur

Words nearby recourse

reco-reco, recount, recountal, recoup, recoupment, recourse, recover, recoverable, recoverable error, recovered memory, recovery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use recourse in a sentence

Companies like Uber pay their drivers low wages, require workers to report to unpredictable systems run by algorithms, and have very little legal recourse and access to their own data if they have a problem, Mozilla’s report says.
The Internet needs a Richard Simmons|Danielle Abril|January 28, 2021|Fortune
In a fresh respite for professionals and businesses who would until now take recourse to Instagram to publicize their business, LinkedIn stories have arrived to help professionals share their on-the-fly moments.
Five strategies to promote your business using LinkedIn Stories|Aayush|December 31, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Your only recourse then is to beat the tightness into submission.
Gifts for the most stressed out people you know|Rachel Feltman|December 15, 2020|Popular-Science
Nikola responded the following day, saying the report contained “false and misleading statements” and that it had hired counsel to “evaluate potential legal recourse.”
Little Big Shorts: How tiny ‘activist’ firms became sheriffs in the stock market’s Wild West|Bernhard Warner|December 3, 2020|Fortune

Before the rule change, federal law didn't address the issue of emotional support animals, so airlines had little recourse but to accommodate them.
Airlines will no longer be required to transport emotional support animals|Lori Aratani|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
What recourse would they have to prove that they should be eligible for release?
Are Mandatory Ebola Quarantines Legal?|Tim Mak|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I know that it might get nowhere, but this is my only recourse.
Iran Says Take Off the Veil—and Be Raped|IranWire|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Had the board decided to give Eich a few weeks to prove himself, those who disagreed would have had no recourse.
Chill Out About Firefox, Everybody|Gene Robinson|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They, according to one juror, who spoke to Nightline, believed Dunn had no recourse but to shoot.
Michael Dunn, Jordan Davis, and America's Racist Heritage|Jamelle Bouie|February 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However well-intentioned, we are not sure that this bill would be the most effective means of recourse.
The Movement to Boycott the American Studies Association for Boycotting Israel|David Freedlander|February 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The men, whose poniards his sword parried, had recourse to fire-arms, and two pistols were fired at him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
To such persons does he open the doors to pay them, while they are shut on the wretched owners without recourse.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Then we blotted out the fire, and, stretching ourselves on the ground, had recourse to the solace of tobacco.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
No other remedy remained but the application of force, and convinced of this, it had recourse to revolution.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
When we wish to regulate the admission of light to our rooms we have recourse to very clumsy contrivances.
Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward

British Dictionary definitions for recourse

recourse

/ (rɪˈkɔːs) /

noun

the act of resorting to a person, course of action, etc, in difficulty or danger (esp in the phrase have recourse to)

a person, organization, or course of action that is turned to for help, protection, etc

the right to demand payment, esp from the drawer or endorser of a bill of exchange or other negotiable instrument when the person accepting it fails to pay

without recourse a qualified endorsement on such a negotiable instrument, by which the endorser protects himself or herself from liability to subsequent holders

Word Origin for recourse

C14: from Old French recours, from Late Latin recursus a running back, from re- + currere to run

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

recourse

Origin of recourse

Words nearby recourse

Words related to recourse

How to use recourse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for recourse

Word Origin for recourse